Friday, April 26
City Oilers 76-91 Bangui
Al Ahly Benghazi 76-87 Al Ahly
Saturday, April 27
Al Ahly Benghazi Vs City Oilers – 5pm
Al Ahly Vs Bangui – 8pm
Standings
- Al Ahly (Egypt) 4-1
- Bangui (Central Africa Rep) 3-2
- Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya) 2-3
- City Oilers (Uganda) 1-4
City Oilers were left reeling after a devastating 76-91 loss against Bangui, marking their fourth defeat at the ongoing Nile Conference group of the Basketball Africa League in Cairo, Egyp
The Oilers, buoyed by a surprising victory over defending champions and hosts Al Ahly, entered the game with high hopes. However, they were unable to replicate their previous success as Bangui emerged victorious, improving their group stage record to 3-2.
Despite initially taking the lead with a 12-5 advantage in the opening quarter, City Oilers found themselves trailing after Bangui executed a remarkable 14-0 run to close the period with a 19-12 lead.
Bangui dominated the second quarter where they enjoyed their largest lead of 44-26 before heading into halftime with a comfortable 46-34 advantage.
Although City Oilers fought back, with Patrick Rembert notably tying the game at 68-68 with a big 3-pointer with seven minutes on the clock, they ultimately lacked the endurance to match Bangui’s relentless pace, resulting in their defeat.
Rembert led the Oilers’ scoring efforts with 21 points, while Randy Culpepper Sr. and Dane Miller Jr. contributed 16 points each. Despite their efforts, the Oilers’ record dropped to 1-4 to remain rooted at the bottom in the conference.
On the opposing side, Bangui’s Omega Ngaifei shone brightly, recording a game-high of 22 points and 11 rebounds. Kurt Wegscheider and Rolly Fula added 21 and 20 points respectively, with Thierry Darlan contributing 13 points.
This victory marked Bangui’s second win against City Oilers in the group stage, following their earlier triumph with a scoreline of 101-88.
Looking ahead, City Oilers are set to face Al Ahly Benghazi in their final game on Saturday, where they must secure a victory by more than 11 points to secure third place. Al Ahly Benghazi previously defeated City Oilers by 11 points, winning 79-68, a scoreline that the Ugandan champions must better if they are to improve their record to 2-4.
The top two teams from the group and two of the three best third placed teams qualify to the playoffs in Kigali.
